Good vintage taking lens ideas between 58mm-85mm

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As everyone knows the main recommendations for taking lenses for an anamorphic adaptor setup are generally the Helios 44-2 (58mm) and the Jupiter 9 (85mm)

Since some anamorphic setups offer no vignetting between those two focal lengths I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for taking lenses that would fit between 58mm and 85mm that would be suitable to use for an anamorphic setup. Are there any good 65mm 70mm or more obscure focal lengths anyone has come across?

In my search I found a possible vintage winner that is just a little wider then the typical 85mm: Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 80mm f/2.8

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Biometar is a very good lens. I use an MC version with ISCO. It has a nice bokeh and very sharp for its price. But it’s not easy to find one in a good condition. And I don’t recommend the zebra version. Also I had to change the grease on my lens.

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Nice input guys. @[email protected] the Biometar looks really nice, its good to know it plays well with anamorphic.

I wonder if there are any obscure focal lengths below 80mm in the high 60's to 70mm range. I remember reading somewhere that there was some nikkor that was 67mm or something like that. I can't remember where I read about it, and I can't find any more information about it.

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As everyone knows the main recommendations for taking lenses for an anamorphic adaptor setup are generally the Helios 44-2 (58mm) and the Jupiter 9 (85mm)

Since some anamorphic setups offer no vignetting between those two focal lengths I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for taking lenses that would fit between 58mm and 85mm that would be suitable to use for an anamorphic setup. Are there any good 65mm 70mm or more obscure focal lengths anyone has come across?

In my search I found a possible vintage winner that is just a little wider then the typical 85mm: Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 80mm f/2.8

Post suggestions below!

I have experience with this lens used as taking lens: Tokina RMC 28-85 f4.0 zoom.

Good things:

don’t extend when focal lenght is changed (internal focus mechanism)

same aperture all the way

price

Bad things:

heavy and big

very low on contrast and soft wide open (might be good thing, my reason to buy this lens was exactly this)

I don’t know how many versions of this lens are around and how much those differs from each other. My version is with Canon FD mount.

Here is short testclip that I shot entirely with this lens combined with Kowa 8Z:

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@Teemu Fantastic stuff man! Usually zooms are out of question for ana setups, but its nice to know you are using one successfully, and able to utilize some of those in-between focal lengths.

I think if people keep adding their thoughts and suggestions this could be a beneficial thread for people that are looking beyond the standard suggestions.

This is fantastic.

Thanks. I totally agree that usually zooms are out of question. But this setup totally works in it’s own way. I would like to find a lens that gives me possibility to do those crazy ”italo zooms” or ”western zooms” or what ever you like to call it. But only one I know for this suff is Lomo Foton zoom with anamorphic front. But that comes with a big PRICE tag (as all quality anamorphic zooms).

Also one lens that I like to use as taking lens in wider end is this great Russian 50mm macro lens. Volna-9. Even without anamorphic must be one of my favorite lenses. Crazy flares, star bokeh at f5.6 - f8 and great macro. Not so much talk about lens also in my opinnion.

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Thanks. I totally agree that usually zooms are out of question. But this setup totally works in it’s own way. I would like to find a lens that gives me possibility to do those crazy ”italo zooms” or ”western zooms” or what ever you like to call it. But only one I know for this suff is Lomo Foton zoom with anamorphic front. But that comes with a big PRICE tag (as all quality anamorphic zooms).

Also one lens that I like to use as taking lens in wider end is this great Russian 50mm macro lens. Volna-9. Even without anamorphic must be one of my favorite lenses. Crazy flares, star bokeh at f5.6 - f8 and great macro. Not so much talk about lens also in my opinnion.

Yeah you would need a cinema zoom, or at least a long zoom that is parafocal, and very few cheaper stills lenses are. But it seems like the RMC might be parafocal.

Has the 72mm front thread of the RMC given you issues? Ana clamps are usually 52mm, and large front taking lenses are usually recommended against for anamorphic.

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Well actually with my setup the 72mm works really well with my modified FM Lens (Focus Module). It has 72mm rear threads.

That won't be my setup but I guess it doesn't really matter, because if I use a step-down ring its all the same, it really has to do with the optics, and the back of the anamorphic anyway. At least thats how I understand it. So if it works for you, then it should be ok for me even if I use a clamp and do a HCDNA on the front.

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It's really hard to find a combination to be 100% vignette free with this setup. I thought about modifying my Ultra Star to make it vignette free just for this lens. Need to modify the lens aperture disc first, though.

I absolutely love the look. Need to shoot with it more and add the Rapido FVD-16A.

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It's really hard to find a combination to be 100% vignette free with this setup. I thought about modifying my Ultra Star to make it vignette free just for this lens. Need to modify the lens aperture disc first, though.

I absolutely love the look. Need to shoot with it more and add the Rapido FVD-16A.